Matthew Lloyd, of Palmer, and Nicholas E. Jones, of West Warren, put their skills to the test at the May 9 competition in Norwood, where they successfully "debugged" a 2012 Ford Fusion. There were a total of 10 teams, including teams from Westfield Vocational Technical High School and Smith Vocational High School.

According to their automotive technology instructor, James F. LaValle, more than 400 students took the written test to qualify for the competition.

LaValle said Lloyd and Jones were given a Fusion that wouldn't start, and they had to figure out what was wrong with it.

Once they got it running, it still wasn't operating right: the lights weren't working.

The duo figured out that the car had a defective spark plug and that the fuses for the starter had been removed. The teams had to use certain tools and parts to diagnose and fix the problem, then successfully drive the car around a course.

"They had an hour and a half to complete each task. They also were judged on the quality of their workmanship," LaValle said. "They were a very confident, competent pair. They are a great pair of kids and they both are looking forward to careers in the automotive trade."

Lloyd is going into his senior year and Jones just graduated. Jones also placed first in the written test, receiving a trophy and a $50 gift certificate.

They each won a $3,000 scholarship to the Universal Technical Institute for their performance.

"It's a great competition. It helps prepare our students for the future," LaValle said.

"The students who compete are driven, passionate, talented and professional. It's a pleasure and a privilege to watch them work and compete," Dan Poor, local market manager for Universal Technical Institute-Norwood, said in a statement.